Geagea Demands A Technocrat Cabinet, Says Any Government Formed by Suleiman, Salam Is Legitimate
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea stressed on Friday that any cabinet formed by the president and the premier-designate is “legitimate and not a de facto government,” calling for the formation of a technocrat council of ministers.
"Many are using the expression de facto to describe a cabinet formed by President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam,” Geagea said at a press conference he held in Maarab.
He added: “But such a cabinet would be legitimate, legal and constitutional and we reject calling it a de facto cabinet. It is in the constitutional rights of Suleiman and Salam to form a cabinet.”
Geagea remarked that political factions opposed to such a cabinet can protest its formation through refraining from giving it the vote of confidence at the parliament.
"But any other form of protesting is rejected,” he stressed.
The LF leader also slammed as "constitutional heresy" talks about representing parliamentary blocs at the cabinet.
He explained: “The cabinet is not a council where political factions are represented but it is an executive power.”
“We must agree on a cabinet that can at least solve basic issues in the country. But trying to discuss the problems we face at the parliament in the cabinet will not lead anywhere,” he added.
Geagea called for forming a technocrat cabinet that does not include any representatives of either the March 8 or the March 14 coalitions, urging Suleiman and Salam to “use their constitutional powers and form the new government.”
“We want a cabinet formed of known, trustworthy and qualified figures,” he remarked.
Geagea also praised Salam's proposal on rotation of power inside the cabinet, saying that it would prevent the “monopoly of some factions over certain ministries.”
On national dialogue, the Christian leader reiterated that previous talks “did not give any positive results.”
“The requirements necessary for dialogue are not available at the moment.”
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